Leaving Haiti, I experienced heartbreak.
I missed the people. I missed our transportation (riding on top of a school bus). I missed our neighborhood. I even missed the rooster that tried to wake us up every 2 hours.
I felt like I had truly immersed myself in the culture and I wasn’t sure I would be able to do that as easily in our next country. So I stepped out of Haiti and into the Dominican Republic (DR) with a little bit of sadness.
Spanish is the main language in the DR. It is a beautiful language, but I never took it growing up. In high school I took French as my elective and had just spent the last month learning Haitian Creole. (Which is similar to French). I fell in love with Creole and could not get it out of my head in the DR. Each time I tried to say “yes” in Spanish, I ended up speaking in Creole. My brain was bouncing between Creole and English in a Spanish speaking country and I became frustrated. I could feel my walls going up.
I spent about a week in this frustration and kept my talking limited when we were in public. I let my teammates who spoke Spanish take the lead and became a silent bystander. This silence began to take a toll.
I didn’t feel as connected to the DR as I had been to Haiti. I didn’t feel close to the people and I prayed for God to change my mindset. Well, he is a good God, so here is what he did:
One day my team and I went on a prayer walk. Which meant we went into the community and prayed for any people, places, or things God directed us to. I felt at ease about the walk because there were 8 of us going and if we had to pray for people, I could do so silently.
We walked around and prayed for a few people and things that came up. A few of my teammates spoke Spanish and were able to partially translate when needed. It was a great walk and it eventually led us up a random staircase in the neighborhood. That staircase led us to a tucked away house with a man smiling and waving at us from his front porch. His name was Phillis.
My teammates stepped forward and said “Hola”. They began chatting with him while I smiled and stood in the background. After a little while, I thought I heard Phillis say the word “Creole” in one of his sentences. But I wondered if I had just imagined it.
(Side note: The Dominican Republic and Haiti are neighboring countries, so it was possible to encounter both Creole and Spanish in the DR-but it wasn’t common and I hadn’t experienced it yet).
They kept the conversation going in Spanish, so I assumed it was just my imagination. It wasn’t until I saw one of my teammates, Courtney, getting super excited and looking at me that I considered what I heard to be true. She was pointing and telling me that Phillis spoke Creole. She was also whispering that I should step up and talk to him.
I was hesitant at first, but I finally said “Bonjour” and asked Phillis if he spoke Creole. He smiled and enthusiastically said “Wi! Mwen parle Krayol!” (Yes! I speak Creole!)
We found out that Phillis spoke Spanish, Creole, and French and I was able to walk and talk with him for a little while. It immediately lifted my spirits. Even though I was obedient in going on the prayer walk, I did so with reluctance. I wanted to remain in the background. Even still, God blessed me with what I needed. A little conversation in Creole with a man named Phillis.
God made the DR begin to feel comfortable for me in such a unique way and that small moment made a huge difference!
I now attempt to speak the few sentences of Spanish that I know. I have a limited vocabulary, but the little bit I can say makes me feel more connected here. The people are just as wonderful in the DR, so they appreciate my efforts and laugh with me as I mispronounce words.
Every morning I run with some of my teammates and we say hello to the people we pass by. Mostly “hola” or “buenos dia” but every once in awhile I see Phillis and get to shout “bonjour”. It is a small thing but it is such a big way God has shown his love for me.
God has blessed me with a sprinkle of Haiti in the DR and I am so thankful.
If you are feeling down or disconnected this week, I want to challenge you. Take a minute today, (maybe even each day this week), to stop and think of a unique way God has shown his love for you. Maybe even write it down. Like me, it could be as simple as saying hello to a friend.
God loves us in so many ways throughout the day. If we pause to reflect on them, it can be overwhelming to realize how many ways he does this. Taking time to notice his love helps us to live a life of gratitude. That is what I am learning this week.
So, how has God loved on you today? If you can think of a way and want to share, please send me an email or write about it in my comments below! I would love to hear about it and rejoice with you!
I pray that God shows each and every one of you reading this his unique love for you. Thank you for taking the time to walk through this journey with me.
Much love from me,
Tee
